Annie Cresta's Hunger Games
by MangoSmoothie6
Summary: This a fanfiction of the 70th Hunger Games, and you get to see Annie Cresta's POV. Make sure to follow and review! DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES FRANCHISE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! I decided to start from here because...I actually don't know. But here ya go :D**

_I am Annie Cresta. I was reaped for the Hunger Games. There was only one more year left. One more year until I would be too old to be in The Hunger Games. But the odds are not in my favour._ I find myself hiding under the sheets. "Annie, wake up. We have to go to meet our stylists." Zac whispers. I hear another knock at the door. I tell him I'll be right out. We were ordered to just stay in our pyjamas. I walk into the dining room and pile my plate with pastries and sit down next to Zac after I find Finnick sitting next to Mags. I hate Finnick. When he first saw me, he sighed heavily and whispered something into Mags' ear. She slapped him hard on the wrist and scowled him. I like Mags. She's nice and is like a grandmother to me. "See you tonight, Zac." Finnick mutters. "And Annie." I make sure he sees the eye roll I give him and exit the room.

Prunella Laver, our escort, takes us to the preparation room to meet our prep-team. I go in to find three cheerful women. The tallest one combs through my hair with an expensive brush. Her skin is purple, decorated with purple gems. The others refer to her as Amethyst. After combing my hair and letting it flow down, they shove me into a bath filled with horrible chemicals that burn my skin. Once they finally take me out, they apply wax to my legs and yank it off, ripping the hairs out of their roots. It's painful torture, a slow one too. I shed tears for the whole hour. Finally, the small plump woman named Nikola paints my nails ocean blue while Amity applies layers of makeup and glitter. They pull me into a room where I meet my stylist. "Welcome, Annie!" another female voice greets.

I expect another crazy clown, but she's quite toned-down with her personality and her fashion choice. Her light brown hair is in a bun and her eyes are green. She's wearing a leather jacket with matching pants. "I'm Fedora." She grins, "But you can call me Dora." Dora walks into the closet to grab my outfit. I wait in hesitation. District Four's tributes are usually dressed as fishermen, pearls or fish themselves. Quite boring if you ask me. Dora comes back with a white bag containing my outfit. "Before I give this to you, may I ask, do you like to swim?" I could never express my love for the ocean in simple words. The feeling of slicing through the water is amazing. It's like you can fly. The water rushing past your fingertips, the ability to be so free in the vast area. But I only say, "Yes." She grins and tells me to close my eyes. I peel off my robe and dress into the outfit. Before I'm allowed to open my eyes, she fixes a headpiece to my hair. "Ok…open your eyes!" I look into the mirror. I'm wearing a dress that reflects light so perfectly that it actually looks like water. I squeeze her hand tightly before being taken to the chariot.

It's not long before our horses take off. District One's tributes are dressed like diamonds. District Two's tributes seem to be knights. Three are wearing flickering lightbulbs. But nothing beats Four. We steal the attention from everyone. Even when President Snow, the ruler of our country Panem, tries to speak, the crowd is still 'oohing' and 'ah-ing.' It's only the anthem, set to full volume, that silences everyone. Zac and I look around at the other tributes. "Let the 70th Hunger Games begin." Zac whispers.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is probably the worst, but the next one will be better :) Enjoy, follow if you want to be notified when I add** more.

We are let back into the Tribute Centre. Mags claps as we enter while Finnick just nods his head. "You were fantastic!" Mags cheers. "I hope we look this good for the interviews." Zac says. We reach the elevator and Finnick pushes the number four. We quickly rise to the level and I walk to the dining table. "Who put this out?" I ask. It's some sort of roasted bird with a few peppermint leaves surrounding it. "The chicken?" Prunella asks. "The Avoxes, of course." I just notice them standing in the corner. My mother told me of them, rebels or rulebreakers that had been captured by the Capitol and got their tongue cut out. I nod in appreciation and sit down between Mags and Prunella. I break off the leg of the chicken and start to chew on it. It's okay, but I'd rather have fish. "You two should get to bed! You have training tomorrow!" Prunella says in her Capitol accent. "Oh, let them have dessert. They earned it." Mags sighs. Prunella folds her arms and orders the Avoxes to get dessert. "Thank you, Mags." I smile. They bring back a large cake, decorated with waves. It's delicious as it is beautiful. "Now, off to bed!"

I walk into my room and quickly have a shower. Apart from the dresses, it's the only thing so far that reminds me of home. I scrub myself with fruity soaps and when I dry myself off, the outfit Dora gave me is gone, replaced by a pair of pyjamas. I slip into them and walk to turn off the lights, but there is no light-switch or a rope. There's only a remote sitting on my pillow. I grab it and press a random button. The window's scenery changes from a view of the Capitol to a forest. I press the button again and it fades into a café. I press it once more and the view is just like Four. A sandy beach with glossy waves washing over. There's even the sound of the ocean, or at least I think there is. I sit in the bed and find one of the buttons have an off-switch. I click it and the lights dim, leaving me with the sound of the waves.

After eating a breakfast of toast, we are given new outfits to change into. I am wearing black leggings and a green top while Zac is wearing denim shorts and a white top. We are taken into the training centre to meet a young woman. While we wait for the last district, I peer at the other tributes. The tributes from One are strong and muscly. The girl has wavy black hair and acid green eyes. The boy has strawberry blonde hair with freckles adorning his face. He looks only fourteen. The tributes from Two aren't that fantastic. The girl has red hair like me but her eyes are icy blue. She gives me a shy smile and looks back at the door. The boy has blonde hair and brown eyes. Finally, the tributes from Twelve enter. The poor things are both shaking. They only look twelve. I shudder at the thought of killing young children who've never had a decent meal until now. The young woman gives us advice on how to survive. Mags' did give better advice, but she did win the Games before, so you can't blame her. I'm let out and Zac drags me to the weapons' station. "You must be Four." The girl from One snarls. "I'm Zac, this is Annie." We shake hands with her and her district partner. "Well, I'm Ivy and this weakling is Leo." Leo nudges her in the hip and gives me a warm smile. Ivy and Zac go to practise with swords while Leo and I throw spears. I hit the target every time.

The tributes from Two come over to us. "Hey. I'm Casey." The girl smiles. The boy from one just shakes my hand and goes to pick up a bow. His aim's pretty good, he can pin the dummy to the wall with his arrows. Casey goes over to the knives and her aim is impeccable. She slices the head of each dummy. "Woah." I smile. "I was top of my class for a reason." All the Careers group at the weapons station and we practise throwing knives, spears, tridents. Unfortunately, because we wasted time waiting for Twelve, we don't get to eat lunch today. As I board the elevator, Zac whispers into my ear. "They're pretty good." I shrug my shoulders. We have pretty plain skills. But at least we can use weapons unlike the other districts. "How are we going to kill them though." Zac adds. I bite my nails and turn away._ How am I going to kill anybody?_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello!**

We meet again the next day. "This time, we should go to a few survival sessions." The others argue with me until Casey shuts them all up. "That's how last year's Careers died. They froze to death because they couldn't make a fire. Let's just go." Casey nods her head as we split up at different survival stations. I already know how to tie fantastic knots, so I go to the edible foods station. The trainer smiles and gives me a handful of berries. "Look at the screen and throw away the poisonous berries." I stare at the electronic screen blaring a white light. I throw the midnight blue berries away and are left with navy blue ones. "Good, but you forgot a few." I practise again and again until I'm basically an expert.

The bell rings for us to eat lunch. We pull a few tables together and sit all together. "The tributes from Twelve are such idiots." Ivy laughs. "They are!" the boy from Two finally says. "Oh, shut up, Damon." Casey snaps. Ivy glares in her direction. "So, were you two top of the class like us?" Ivy asks to the tributes from Two. They both nod and everyone stares at us. Zac smiles and gives her a thumb up. "What about you, water girl?" I'm the only one. I bet I'm also the only one to be scared. "No. I was lucky enough to be chosen, though." I lie. _I'd rather die from poison than die slowly in the Games. _ Ivy grins and shoves Leo away from her. We eat bread rolls and talk about the other tributes. I see Finnick is watching us all. I look at him and he gives me a half-smile. Is he impressed? Or is he smiling at Zac? I never find out as we're released back into training.

I go to the tree-climbing station. The trees we have don't have any branches and they are really slippery, so I never learned. Plus, sometimes they have coconuts that can drop on your head at any minute. "We better keep our eyes open while we sleep. Ivy sounds like she could kill us all." Casey jokes. I was planning to do it anyways. Casey scales the tree pretty quickly. I struggle on the thinner branches. Casey is only around fifteen, so of course she's lighter than me. There's a boy from Eleven who basically flies up the tree, despite its lack of branches. "How does he do that?" Casey gasps. "I work in the trees back at my district."

The next day, we go back to the weapons. Both Mags and Finnick are watching, observing our skills. I pick up a trident and throw it at the dummy. If it were a person, it'd be dead. I walk around to each weapon, pondering about which one I'll use. I decide on a shiny sword. "Where are the sparring partners?" I ask. Damon points me in the direction of a man wearing a lot of padding. "Which weapon?" he asks. "Sword." He goes over to a table and wields a golden sword, a bit bigger than mine. We fight for a while until I slice open the padding. "Good job. You could improve on your blocking though." I don't think I'll even use a sword, but I take his advice anyways. The final bell rings. I'm rushed back into the Tribute Centre.

"Tomorrow's your private sessions with the Gamemakers." Prunella smiles. When I wake up the next morning, I'm given scrambled eggs. I quickly eat them before Finnick drags us away. "I saw you two in training. You're good." He says to Zac. "Didn't you see Annie? She can hit the dummy from metres away." Finnick raises his eyebrows at me. He's only a year older, but already looks like a man. "I'm okay." I sit on a blue chair marked Four. "Ivy Blackwater." a machine calls. I bite my nails again. I wish I could be at home in the waves. I'm never going to see them again. I wonder why no one volunteered. Surely there was a girl eager enough to go in the Games. As if he can read my impression, Zac pats my back. "You're going to be fine. Just pretend the target is someone you hate." _Even if it was the person I hate the most, I would still hesitate to kill them. _The person would have to be who dragged us in here. Not Finnick, not Prunella. It would definitely be President Snow. "Damon Russel." I'm next. It feels like only a second has passed when my own name is called. "Good luck." Zac grins. "You too."

I enter the room. A few of the dummies have no heads, others are missing limbs. I didn't even think about what I was going to do, so I pick up a few tridents and carry it over to the dummies. I thrust one at the head and it rips it right off the body. The next two rip off its arms. I tighten my grasp around a spear and throw it at the dummy. I guess the years of hunting with harpoons did help, as spear slices through the dummies' stomach. I look back at the Gamemakers, who all give me thumbs up. A gruff old man who must be the Head Gamemaker taps on a microphone and tells me to exit. I wait for Zac at the elevator. He eventually comes out with a small cut on his hand. "How did that happen?" I ask as we are taken to our rooms. "I was throwing knives when one cut my hand." He says bashfully. "Don't worry, I won't judge you." _I bet he'll judge me when I can't kill a tribute._ A large feast is in front of us, but I only take a few bread rolls and sit on the couch. "When will the scores be revealed?" I ask. "Soon. We should wait for the stylists though. They're working on your outfits for the interviews." Finnick answers. "Are the interviews tomorrow?" Zac gasps. "No. Tomorrow is when Finnick and I will teach you how to act during the interviews and give you a bit more advice for the Games."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again :) I don't think this fanfic is as good as the other. I don't know. Should I stop posting the Annie ones?**

Fedora and Zac's stylist finally enter. "Sorry if we're late, Beret just had to get an extra cup of coffee!" Fedora sighs. "Quickly! They're about to announce them!" Caesar Flickerman's dazzling smile appears on screen. He's the host of the interviews. This year, he's wearing a golden wig with matching lipstick. "Let's start on District One!" Ivy's menacing face fades into the screen. "Ivy Blackwater." he whispers. "With a score of ten!" Leo gets a nine while both Casey and Damon get tens. "Annie Cresta." I hear him say. "With a score of ten." I'm shocked. I seriously thought I'd get a seven or eight. Not a full on ten. "Zac Spencer…with a score of ten." The rest of the tributes get average to low scores, especially the girl from Twelve. Then the screen turns off. "Congratulations!" Mags cheers. "They'll definitely sponsor you now!" Prunella smooths her spiky hair with gel and orders us to practise for the interviews.

Finnick pulls Zac away for his training and Mags takes me to her room. It smells of sweet flowers that grow by the beach. "Am I going to practise walking around and stuff?" I ask. "Not at all. We're going to work on how you'll steal all the attention." Mags smirks. It's like English class all over again. I pretend Mags' is the audience, trying to convince her to bet on me. Then I work on my smile for a few minutes. "We have a few minutes left before Finnick needs to take over." I roll my eyes at the thought. "I'll give you more advice. Apart from the basic survival tips, you need to stick with the Careers. I know they're cocky, but if you don't stay with them, they'll hunt you down and kill you. Especially with your high score." My hands are shaking again. Mags grab mine in her own and kisses me on the forehead. "Don't worry. You're a brave, strong girl. Despite what Finnick thinks, I'd be betting on you."

Zac walks into the room. "Finnick's in the room opposite of mine." What does Finnick think? That I'm a weakling? A poor excuse for a Career? I walk into his room and he makes me sit down on a chair. "So, what are you going to tell me, Finnick?" I snap. "You should use your looks to your advantage. You could get sponsors from that. Ask your prep team to tone down on the makeup but make your hair look beautiful" _Does Finnick think I'm pretty? _I have been told that before, but I always thought that they were trying to be nice. "Act flattered. You love the Capitol; you love the food, you love the clothes, you love the people." I start to object, but he holds his finger to my lips. "Honey, if you don't listen, you're going to die." I fold my arms and cross my legs. "Don't you have any advice." I hiss through gritted teeth. "Stick with Ivy, Casey and Damon. Even if you don't trust them, there your only chance. A sixteen-year-old like you needs a few reinforcements." _Did he just say I'm sixteen?_ "Excuse me, I'm eighteen for your information. And I only trust Casey, Zac and Leo, but they're going to be in the pack anyways." I really want to punch him. "You still have to listen. You should sleep. Don't want to wreck your pretty face." He laughs as I feel my face go red. "Shut up." I growl. I storm out of the room, hands balled into fists. I swear, if I wasn't going to be in the Games, I would punch his jaw. _Maybe Finnick is the person I hate most in the world._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey again! Sorry for not updating :P. The Games are next :O **

Amethyst, Amity and Nikola bathe me in the horrible chemicals one more time. My eyes sting along with the skin that they waxed. I bite my lip, trying as hard as possible not to scream. I'm finally taken out to only be shown a new bath. I close my eyes, trying to lessen the pain that will come, but its sooths my skin. I open my eyes and its water with fizzing soaps. I finally relax. They scrub my hair and rinse it repeatedly. I'm pulled out and dry myself with a towel. Amethyst brushes my hair until it is silky smooth. Nikola and Amity paint my nails with coral coloured paint. They take out a box full of different makeup appliers, when I find myself talking. "Can you put on a little makeup?" I mutter. "My mentor asked for it." Amethyst ties my hair into a bun, tying it together with a light pink ribbon.

My prep-team scuttles out of the room when Dora walks in. She's wearing a hat this time, a fedora. "Am I going to be dressed like a waterfall again?" I ask. Dora shakes her head. She taps my eyes and I instantly close them. I hear footsteps slowly fading. I'm going into the arena tomorrow. I'm going to be dead in four days. My mother and father, what will they do? We have no other family. They'll live alone for the rest of their lives. Who knows? They might have another kid. Someone to replace me. I hope they do. I don't want to be the reason my parents will live unhappily for the rest of their lives.

The tapping of leather boots returns. I dress into this new outfit. I don't have time to wonder what it is when Dora orders my eyes to be open. I'm once again, shocked. It's a light green top with a candy pink skirt. There's the design of coral on the skirt. "It looks beautiful." I say, admiring the detail. "How long did it take for you to make it?" Fedora shrugs as I put on green ballet shoes. "Not long, maybe around two days?" She walks me to a room called 'Waiting Room'. I stand in line with the other tributes. Ivy goes first, showing off her large score. Leo is shy, but he makes up for it when he mentions a girlfriend at home. Casey is nice and bubbly while Damon is tough and arrogant. They call up the District 3 female. I wish I could bite my nails, but my prep-team worked so hard on them.

Finally, they call up me. The bright light is blinding. My eyes eventually adjust and I find myself sitting next to Caesar. "Welcome, Annie." he smiles. "Can we talk about that dress you wore in the Tribute Parade? Fab-u-lous!" I laugh with the audience and mention Fedora's careful hands. "Everything here is amazing. The food is fantastic, the clothes are even better." I grin. The food is great, but most of the clothes make the citizens look like clowns. "What's your favourite food here?" I think of the roast bird. _Err…what is its name?_ "The chicken." I smile. "The roast chicken? My favourite meal on a Sunday." I laugh nervously and swipe the hair out of my face. "Now, Annie, does anyone hold your heart?" Caesar asks. "No." I say, smiling into the audience. "How does no one love a pretty girl like you?" _The thing is, Caesar, is that I've been made pretty._ The boys back home see me with knotted hair and sandy clothes. No makeup, no fancy clothes. "I'm not that pretty." I mumble. "Oh, don't sell yourself short!" Caesar grins. Caesar checks his watch and sighs to the audience. "Well, that's all the time we have for Annie Cresta!"

I sit for the rest of the interviews, staring at my nails. They have the smell of seawater and have corals etched into the paste. "You did good." Casey smiles. "I like the roast chicken too." Her dress is breathtaking in person. It's like a clear umbrella, revealing a golden leotard. "I know, my dress is way too revealing. And it was a pain to sit in too." Her mentor, Enobaria, orders her to leave. "See you tomorrow." She smiles. _Yes, tomorrow in the arena._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again. Hope you enjoyed last paragraph and the teasing :P. I didn't say before, but I am an Odesta shipper (read my profile for proof.)**

Amethyst, Amity and Nikola bathe me in the horrible chemicals one more time. My eyes sting along with the skin that they waxed. I bite my lip, trying as hard as possible not to scream. I'm finally taken out to only be shown a new bath. I close my eyes, trying to lessen the pain that will come, but its sooths my skin. I open my eyes and its water with fizzing soaps. I finally relax. They scrub my hair and rinse it repeatedly. I'm pulled out and dry myself with a towel. Amethyst brushes my hair until it is silky smooth. Nikola and Amity paint my nails with coral coloured paint. They take out a box full of different makeup appliers, when I find myself talking. "Can you put on a little makeup?" I mutter. "My mentor asked for it." Amethyst ties my hair into a bun, tying it together with a light pink ribbon.

My prep-team scuttles out of the room when Dora walks in. She's wearing a hat this time, a fedora. "Am I going to be dressed like a waterfall again?" I ask. Dora shakes her head. She taps my eyes and I instantly close them. I hear footsteps slowly fading. I'm going into the arena tomorrow. I'm going to be dead in four days. My mother and father, what will they do? We have no other family. They'll live alone for the rest of their lives. Who knows? They might have another kid. Someone to replace me. I hope they do. I don't want to be the reason my parents will live unhappily for the rest of their lives.

The tapping of leather boots returns. I dress into this new outfit. I don't have time to wonder what it is when Dora orders my eyes to be open. I'm once again, shocked. It's a light green top with a candy pink skirt. There's the design of coral on the skirt. "It looks beautiful." I say, admiring the detail. "How long did it take for you to make it?" Fedora shrugs as I put on green ballet shoes. "Not long, maybe around two days?" She walks me to a room called 'Waiting Room'. I stand in line with the other tributes. Ivy goes first, showing off her large score. Leo is shy, but he makes up for it when he mentions a girlfriend at home. Casey is nice and bubbly while Damon is tough and arrogant. They call up the District 3 female. I wish I could bite my nails, but my prep-team worked so hard on them.

Finally, they call up me. The bright light is blinding. My eyes eventually adjust and I find myself sitting next to Caesar. "Welcome, Annie." he smiles. "Can we talk about that dress you wore in the Tribute Parade? Fab-u-lous!" I laugh with the audience and mention Fedora's careful hands. "Everything here is amazing. The food is fantastic, the clothes are even better." I grin. The food is great, but most of the clothes make the citizens look like clowns. "What's your favourite food here?" I think of the roast bird. _Err…what is its name?_ "The chicken." I smile. "The roast chicken? My favourite meal on a Sunday." I laugh nervously and swipe the hair out of my face. "Now, Annie, does anyone hold your heart?" Caesar asks. "No." I say, smiling into the audience. "How does no one love a pretty girl like you?" _The thing is, Caesar, is that I've been made pretty._ The boys back home see me with knotted hair and sandy clothes. No makeup, no fancy clothes. "I'm not that pretty." I mumble. "Oh, don't sell yourself short!" Caesar grins. Caesar checks his watch and sighs to the audience. "Well, that's all the time we have for Annie Cresta!"

I sit for the rest of the interviews, staring at my nails. They have the smell of seawater and have corals etched into the paste. "You did good." Casey smiles. "I like the roast chicken too." Her dress is breathtaking in person. It's like a clear umbrella, revealing a golden leotard. "I know, my dress is way too revealing. And it was a pain to sit in too." Her mentor, Enobaria, orders her to leave. "See you tomorrow." She smiles. _Yes, tomorrow in the arena._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I feel like no one reads my fanfictions. I don't know.**

Ivy and Zac take the lead as I trail behind like a duckling to its mother. We tread through the forest which is very unfamiliar to me. The trees' branches curl around, entangling each other. Eventually there are so much branches that Ivy swings at them with her sword. Some fling back and scratch my face, bringing stinging cuts. I clench my teeth and continue forward. If I have any chance of staying alive, I can't appear weak. That's going to be a struggle. Finally, the intertwining branches disappear and Ivy puts her sword away. "Ok, where should we go next?" Zac asks. _I'd like to go back. _Ivy sits on a rock and rubs her glowing green eyes with her forefingers. "Can we just sit for a bit? I just woke up." I lean against one of the gloomy trees and spin my trident around. It's all I can do to stop being homesick.

"While we wait, I'm going to refill the canteens. See you two in a bit." Zac smiles. I stretch my arms and stare off into the distance. How is my family? Are they okay? I'm dragged out of my muddle of thoughts when Ivy asks me a simple question. "What's Four like?" I smile and give a little laugh and lift myself up. "There's ocean. Ocean everywhere. It's peaceful and calm if you obey the Capitol's orders. The air smells of sea salt and the sunsets are breath-taking." I flick a few ants off my shirt. "What is your district like." I ask. "Well, there's a lot of factories to produce the luxuries. A few mines. Not that great, but its home." I watch her nose twitch. "There's a fire!" she grins. "Get Zac!" I run towards the lake while Ivy takes out her sword. Zac follows me back and I can smell the smoke now. It's very close. Ivy dashes towards a cloud of smoke. "What if it's a forest fire?" I ask Zac. He shrugs his shoulders and follows after her.

There's two girls huddled by a fire, cooking what looks like a chicken. I don't think they see us yet, as I can still see their lips moving. One of the girls looks around and suddenly freezes. "Run!" she screams. The girl runs away, leaving her confused friend by the fire. Ivy leaps out of the bushes and runs towards the other girl. This girl has to be thirteen. Maybe even twelve. Ivy pins her to the ground and gives her a menacing smile. "Well, hello there. Don't mind if I do." she says while picking at their meal. "I haven't had breakfast today. I'd let you finish it, but that'd be a waste." Ivy spots a knife sitting on the ground. She picks it up and points it towards the girls' necks. The girl is screaming but Ivy presses into her neck. "Shut it." Ivy hisses. She starts to engrave the knife into her lips. I tell Zac that I forgot my knife back in the woods, which I didn't. I just didn't want to see the torture of the little girl. I stop hearing the screams, but the cannon hasn't fired. I walk back, thinking it has stopped. But it hasn't. Zac is left watching. Just by the sight of his face, he's in pain. Ivy is still cutting at the girl, who's all bloody and mutilated. I look away. _I can't. I can't._ I feel Zac brush past me and I turn to see him stick his spear into the girls' neck, killing her instantly. At least she's not being tortured. "Hey! I wasn't done with her!" Ivy growls. "We're wasting time. We should head back now." Zac pulls out the spear from the girls' neck and we walk back through the branches.

"The cannon? Did you kill someone?" Casey asks us. Ivy rolls her eyes and glares at the knife, which is stained with red. "Yes. I was in the middle of killing someone when Mr. Spear over here stole my kill." Doesn't Ivy have a heart? _They were people too._ The girl appears in the night-sky. Her face is so innocent. So unrecognisable from the bleeding mess I just saw. The image burns in my brain. It's like when I watched horror movies. I couldn't get it out of my mind. Not until I reminded myself it wasn't real. But here, here it's real. I take first watch. I'm glad too, as I'm scared what the night will bring. I realise I haven't eaten at all. Even though I don't feel hungry, I eat a bread roll. I wake up Leo and slip into the same spot I slept last time. My dreams aren't dreams anymore. They're horrible nightmares, intoxicating my sleep. I don't wake up. Every time I want to run away, I'm faced with another version of the girl dying. It's terrible. It goes on until we are all woken up by Casey. Only 6 tributes have died. The Gamemakers won't like that. They like to see the blood. The people of the Capitol love that, which is my main reason to hate them.

Ivy takes Damon into the woods to find more tributes. I sit on the Cornucopia and stare into the distance. Why do the Hunger Games even exist. I'd love life a lot more if we didn't have to watch people die every year on live television. The fact that some people enjoy it is disgusting. "Thinking of home?" Zac asks. I didn't realise he was sitting next to me. "Not really. I guess I am in a way." I watch the wind carry a pile of leaves when Casey screams and a cannon blares.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ugh, I feel like this story is really bad. Hope you enjoy it though.**

I leap off the Cornucopia and run through the sheets. Leo's on the ground, blood dripping out of his neck from a hole made by an arrow. A boy is crippled next to him with a knife stuck in his wrist. He's wailing but blood is filling up his throat, forcing him to cough up the stuff. Casey is behind him, hyperventilating. I try to talk but I realise my hand is still clamped over my face. Casey looks up at us with crazed eyes. "An arrow. It just…just came out of nowhere. He fell to the ground and the boy…he came through but he's dead now." Casey cries. The boy continues to mumble, probably realising he's going to die. I find myself stepping closer to him. His bloodshot eyes are widening at every step. I slowly turn him over and find a huge Five on his back. I turn back at Casey, who's finally calmed down from the shock. I take her to the nearby lake and I help her wash her blood-soaked hair. She must've gotten sprayed with the stuff. The cannon for the boy blows. As I scrub her hair, the natural red colour of her hair seems to fade away into blonde. "My hairs naturally blonde. My stylist dyed it red for the Tribute Parade as the only female knight she knew has red hair." Casey says, "Was it deceiving?" I nod my head. "Very."

Once we make it back, Ivy and Damon are already there, taking the bodies out into the forest. I'm still shaken up. Once the others return, we sit quietly. I examine Ivy's face, searching for any sign of sorrow, but she's smiling off into the distance. I daydream of home once again. I remember sitting on my father's lap, pointing into the sunset. That would've been ten years ago, but I still remember it clear as day. "You know the dam?" I say, "Do you think anybody has tried to climb into it?" I don't think anyone can climb that well, but who knows? It might not even have water in it. "No. We were near it and there's literally no way up. Unless you could fly or had very long rope." We hear one more cannon, followed by a hovercraft picking up another tribute. It drops the giant claw once to pick up the body, then once again to pick up the head. I nearly throw up. I'm terrified.

Ivy accidently steps on my hair as she's walking to Damon. She stares at me, but I pretend to be asleep. "Damon. Get up." she whispers. Damon groans and I hear the rustling of a sleeping bag. "When should we kill them?" Does she mean us? Or the other tributes? "When Casey dies. We're not killing her though. Then we kill them." Damon replies. I bite my lip to stop myself from screaming my lungs out. "Fine." Ivy hisses. I can feel my heart racing. They're the strongest Careers. Not even in the same District. Ivy walks back over, just missing my hair with her black boots. I don't sleep. I roll around until Zac thinks he is waking me up. I want to scream the truth to him, but I know I will probably get killed then and there. So, I bite my lip and smile. When we all wake up, I ask to quickly have a swim in one of the lakes. Thankfully, they let me. I throw off my jacket and leap into the water. Then I start to scream. Another reason why water is so good is that it conceals you. Someone above the water would only hear a small vibration. Not even that sometimes. I let out my anger, frustration and fears into the water. It's probably risky. Someone might even be right above me, waiting for me to surface. I rise to take a breath and dip back down. I swim around, letting the water wash my dirty clothes. I think it's been 3 minutes since I came back up. I quickly jump out and throw my jacket over my dripping wet clothes. The water makes squelching noises in my boots, but I keep running. "Thought you said, 'Just a dip'." Ivy says. I feel my hair and it's all tangled. Zac takes one look at me and we both start to laugh. I look ridiculous. Ivy rolls her eyes and hands out pots of stew. I haven't eaten much in ages, so I don't turn it down.

I'm shaking from the dripping wet lake water. I hear a rapid beeping and a parachute descends down in front of me. I break the seal and reveal a warm towel. I look up and nod my head. This has to be from Mags. Finnick is probably surprised I made it this far already, but Mags knew it all along. I honestly thought I'd die in the bloodbath, but I am eighteen. The oldest age you can be a tribute. "Thank you." I whisper.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ooh! We're getting really close to the end of the Games :D Remember, I didn't include the reaping because there will be some MAJOR Odesta and PTSD going on afterwards. Leave a review for feedback or if you have any story ideas (I've been thinking about doing a Johanna Mason fic but idk). Enjoy!**

A day or two has passed. I don't remember as we spent most of it sleeping. Well, most of us slept. I'm sick to the stomach. I can't fight someone double my size. I always stay by Casey. I can't let her die. Whenever it's my turn to watch the others while they rest, I end up just sitting next to her, my arm ready to thrust my trident. It feels silly. Even if I do protect her, she can still die. And what am I going to do if they just kill her while I'm asleep? Or kill all of us at once? I don't think so. We would hear the cannon of one tribute, wake up, then run off. I'm too caught up in my thoughts when I feel someone shake me violently.

"Annie! Wake up!" Ivy says, although I wasn't asleep. "We need you and Zac to go hunt." I rub my eyes and try to find where she's pointing at. It's the box we keep food in, except it's empty. I give Zac a look that I hope he interprets as scared. He shrugs his shoulders and sighs. I lift up my trident, slowly running my fingers over the cool metal. I reluctantly follow him into the woods. I can almost feel Ivy's eyes glaring at the back of my head. Once I think we're out of ears and sight, I decide to tell Zac. "We're going to die. Once Casey dies, we're next." I whisper. His concerned face looks back at camp. "How exactly do you know this?" he mutters. I nudge his side and continue to walk. "I overheard Ivy and Damon talking to each other." I take a deep breath. It feels so good to let it off my chest. "We'll have to protect her." He finally says.

I walk over to a lake and dive in, even with my jacket. The water is cool against my warm skin. "Come in!" I smile. He takes the time to take off his jacket and leaps into the water with me. With a big grin on my face, I splash his hair, soaking it. He laughs and splashes me too. An endless water fight. That is, until we hear rustling in the trees. My eyes avert their attention to the leaves. They sway unnaturally, as if they're about to fall off. I turn to Zac, who splashes me in the face. "Shush!" I hiss through my clenched teeth. More liquid drips down my back, but this time it's warm. This isn't water. "Don't move." Zac gasps. I feel fingers wipe my neck, smothering the liquid. I can feel my bones rattling when his fingers come into my view. I'd recognise that red stuff anywhere. Blood.

I want to run, but Zac clasps his hand around my wrist. I can't find what it's coming from. I think of sharp teeth, blood pouring out. Could the Capitol even design one of them? Who knows. I've seen them make shark-like creatures with spikey skin. Small creatures fall from the branches. Tiny tapping noises from creeping around the dead leaves. Our heads are turning so fast, I'm scared they'll crack. The air is thin. No one makes a sound. Then they start to rain down on us.

I grab Zac's arm and we take off towards the Cornucopia, but a thick layer of trees and vines block our way. A cannon, maybe two go off. Claws rake my neck, bringing out a scream. I drop my trident for a second and use my free hand to throw them off. I pick it up and slash through the vines. They jump on our heads, needle teeth biting our ears. Zac holds them back with his knife as I continue to work through the thick foliage. "I found a way out!" I scream. We run as fast as we can, some still clinging onto our clothes. I spot the shimmer of the Cornucopia. I quickly peel three of the animals off. They have sharp pointy teeth, but small squirrel-like bodies. I stab them with my knife and take a deep breath. "Zac!" I yell. I'm about to rush back inside when he materializes out of the bush.

"They're at the Cornucopia." I puff. "Come on." I know he can't though. He got the worse of it, blood seeping through is soaked shirt. He uses his spear to prop himself up and he slowly walks across to the Cornucopia. I can't see much, I'm guessing they're inside. We get closer and my stomach knots at the sight. Casey's lying on the ground, spear through her heart. Damon is leaning next to her, not crying, but still looking upset. My hands are shaking like crazy. Then Ivy runs towards us with a sword. Zac is out of breath. I try to drag him along but he trips. Ivy comes towards him and slashes her sword across his neck, instantly killing him. His head drains of blood. I look away and start sprinting for the woods. "You can't run from me!" she shrieks. But I do. My mind fills with Zac's head, rolling onto the grass. I trip over a rock and I land near a thick layer of vines. I flick them away and reveal a small cave, barely big enough for me. I crawl inside and find myself curled up into a ball. I cry myself to sleep, only to bring nightmares about Zac's disfigured body in front of me, cutting off my own limbs. Casey is bashing onto a glass, hating me for not saving her. I scream and scream until I wake up, only to be welcomed by reality. _A never-ending nightmare_.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you everyone for reading my fanfictions, I really appreciate it when you all review and let me know what you think. If you have any ideas of what I should write, PM me. I possibly could do a SYOT but I have no idea how to do that and I'm still new to writing fanfics in total. Enjoy :)**

I squeeze my eyes shut and cover my ears. I need to block them out. They can't take me. "Why am I like this?" I scream to the dry air. Casey wasn't screaming when that boy killed Leo. Other tributes from the other games weren't screaming. Is there something wrong with me? Of course there is. I could've saved him. I could've taken the shot. I decided to save myself. I bet Finnick is spewing. His best shot at having a winning tribute is dead. I'm an idiot. I let him die. He was only sixteen. I hit my head repeatedly against the rocky floor, hoping it'll sort my mind out. But I just end up knocking myself unconscious.

Once again, my dreams aren't as happy as they used to be. I have cold metal chains around my body, locking me to a table as they wheel me to a white hospital room. I'm propped against the wall and they take their first victim into the glass box in front of me. My mother and father sprayed with an acidic substance which burns their skin. My screams are muffled by the tape over my mouth. Once they're done with them, my parents are dragged out and Casey replaces them. Water begins to fill inside, slowly rising to her ankles. I close my eyes and hear fists banging onto glass. But they force them open and I watch her head at the top of the box, gasping for what little oxygen there is left. When it runs out, she's desperately hitting the glass, hoping it cracks. But it doesn't. Zac's arms are being sliced with mechanical knives, deep into the skin. Then a small, seemingly harmless salt shaker comes in and pours salt into the wound. I begin to weep, watching everyone I know and love dying in some horrific way. It's only the sound of a large crack that forces me awake.

It's like the fireworks we set off at the start of each year. Only this wasn't a firework. More crackling noises fill the cave. Is it collapsing on me? I have nothing but a knife on me, so I slid that into my slightly damp jacket and crawl out. It doesn't fall apart though. The cracking continues. It's coming from far away. I have to see what it is, so I climb up the cave. After a few awful minutes, I'm finally high enough to see what it is. The dam. A long, dangerous crack has spread upon it. I cover my ears and close my eyes. I scream as loud as possible. I don't care if someone finds me. I'm dead on the inside, so why not on the outside too.

I peek through my fingers and see the dam falling apart. I continue to scream, not knowing what else to do. I try to cover my eyes but my hands are violently shaking. The floor rumbles, knocking me off the cave and giving me a mouthful of dirt. I spit it out and weep into my jacket sleeves. It only feels like a second when water begins to rush downhill and begin to fill up. I think of the nightmare I just had, Casey begin stuck in the glass with water filling around us. I can hold my breath, but not for long before I die. And I'm sure some rich Capitol citizen has gone out of their way to ensure the safety of their favourite tribute. Where is Mags or Finnick? Did they give up on me? To be honest, it's a smart decision, so I don't blame them.

The water slowly rises, taking me up with it. I cling onto a tree and begin to climb up. I should let myself die, but I have to avenge Zac. It takes a lot of willpower to keep going up. In my head, I'm imagining the tall tree as an escape rope. The water is all the tributes, trying to kill me and the sky is the District Four. Where it's safe. Safer compared to here. Two cannons go off after the water reaches about five metres. My arms are weak and sore but I continue to climb. Another cannon. I remember when Zac and I were splashing around in water. I laugh at the last fun thing I ever did. I've reached the top of the tree. There's a few taller ones near me, so I place my feet on the sturdiest branches and slowly stand up. I take a deep breath that breaks at a few tears and leap onto the tallest tree.

The rising water swallows the tree I just on. I'm a decent height from the water, so I quickly take a few breaths. I'm starving, but there's nothing to eat. I feel my feet begin to soak with water. I totally forgot about that. I hear another cannon go off. It's hard to see how people are dying from a mere rising water, but I have to remind myself that some people can't swim or weren't near any trees. I feel a hand clamp around my ankle. "You're coming with me!" a voice says. I see a young girl, only thirteen or so. Then I remember that it's the same girl at the campfire. The one that ran off. She's quite strong for her age. I have no choice. I kick her in the face a few times with my free foot and look away as she sinks into the water. _One more dead_. I'm a murderer. She probably saw Zac's face in the sky and decided to look for me. _Wrong decision. _

I race up the tree, wanting to get away from it. I wonder if they'll just let the bodies sit there in the water while we continue to escape. I reach the top and peer over the forest. I have the highest tree, but it's only a few metres taller. I watch the water cover the other trees, while three cannons go off. It's like the water is toxic. But I can see tributes fighting over the trees. I spot Ivy, breaking the top of her tree and using it as some sort of floatation device. I think they've let more water come in, as suddenly I'm barely above water. I copy Ivy's idea and break the branch and use it as a flotation device. I'm being pushed around, nearly into other tributes. I see a boy lying on his back like a starfish, with his stomach into the air like we did when learning to swim. That was a stupid idea, as a spear flies out of nowhere and impales him.

I drift past a sobbing boy, whispering to himself. "Five tributes left. I can win this. I can do this. I'll be the victor." I don't catch what district he was in, but I don't care. Five tributes. I wipe the hair out of my face and to reveal a big grin. I'm not happy about having a chance to win. I'm smiling because I remember when Fedora would make me close my eyes when giving me my outfit. She's from the Capitol. Why don't I hate her? I wish someone was here to help me. I can see everyone now. We're all on the same level. Ivy and Damon are the only people I know by name. There's a long log floating nearby them. It has a large bump on the top. I watch it float past the boy who's still whispering. The log isn't a log. It's a person. I can just see how it's rising and falling. Boy or girl, I can't tell. Only that they're small, but smart. I see Ivy throw a pebble at the sky. After soaring through the sky for about 20 metres, a metal ceiling blocks its way so it flings back into the water. 20 metres. With the water moving at this pace, we're going to be out of air in 25 minutes or less.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello again! Whoever messaged me that weird PM, please get a life :) Hope everyone enjoys this, and make sure to visit my other fics! Review if you'd like (I like reviews). See you!**

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Why is Damon still near Ivy? Alliances usually break off when they reach top five. Do they believe the water isn't actually going to reach the top? My attention travels back to the boy whose face has turned red from exhaustion. He lays his head on the bark and slowly blinks his eyes before I see a golden blade slice his throat. A muffled cannon fires. I squint my eyes to make out who's the killer. It only takes one look at her flowing black hair and glowing green eyes. Ivy. That boy. He thought he was going to win. I feel a cold splash of water drip down my back. I look up and the metal ceiling has attached pipes that are flowing out water. I swim away from the gushing flow and bob my head up, only to feel the immense pain of hitting the ceiling. I look up and we have barely any air. I take one last breath before the rest is covered.

It's just Ivy, Damon, the person on the log and me. Whatever the person on the log used as body paint is starting to wash off in the water. As the cloud of brown paints calms down, I see her shirt. District Six. I don't remember her in the Training Centre. She must've be only thirteen or so. Her cheeks look like they're going to pop, but I think she has a minute or two. Damon rushes past me and pushes me out of the way. Bubbles fly out of his mouth as I fling back. Ivy is chasing after him with a sword. Did he just save me? I mean, he could've easily passed me, even used me as bait. But instead he pushed me out of the way. I'm weak from hunger. I swim over to the boy and take his backpack that was hanging off the log. I search through it, pushing aside plastic until I find a small biscuit wrapped inside the clear film. I scoff that down, along with the guilt of stealing food from a dead person. _It's not like he'll need it._

Another muffled cannon. Was it Damon? I fling my head around and see his face red, but still swimming away from Ivy. It was the girl on the log. I see her slowly floating down into the abyss of dirty water. I want to reach down, pull her up and resuscitate her like we learned in class. But then I'd die myself, and I don't have any oxygen to spare anyways. I'm suddenly glad I'm from District 4. I've had years of practise holding my breath. Damon is turning a wicked blue, he's not going to make it for much longer. Damon suddenly stops moving and Ivy has the chance to stab him in the back. Blood seeps out of the wound and Ivy kicks him away with her foot. The cannon fires and I let out a small yelp. How does she even have the heart to do that?

I have to outlive her. She rushes towards me but I start to speed off. Her body is shaking and her eyes are rolling back into her head. I look away, not wanting my mind to me taunted by this. I've already got a list of things that have traumatised me. I can't even count them on both my hands. I have barely any pain at all. After a whole two minutes, a cannon finally fires. The water starts to drain, nearly sucking me in. I lie down onto the grass and vomit out water I swallowed. I continue to cough until I finally feel better and I hear the fanfare. A hovercraft zooms over me and lets out a shaky ladder. I grab the rungs and my body freezes. I can't even move my eyes, but I'm glad I am looking straight ahead, away from any dead bodies lying on the ground. An image of the lifeless girl, floating down to her death. I begin to scream, flailing my arms about. But instead of someone calming me down, all I get is a needle to the back.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello again (if anyone reads this). The twelfth chapter is here! Hope you enjoy and leave a review! I really appreciate them!**

I can hear people vomiting in front of me. I can't tell it's real. I try to lift my head, but it's too sore. I realise I'm in a hospital bed with a tube running through my arm. Why am I not in that cold cave, having more nightmares about Zac? I can just turn my neck enough to see a doctor next to me. No one else. "She's awake." I hear. She rushes around and I'm knocked unconscious.

My nightmares are just images of the Games. It's all very rushed and fuzzy, but I can make some parts out. Ivy turning blue and doing a dance of convulsions. A young girl falling to her doom, screaming for help. Zac being beheaded. I wake up, my mind a bit more clear. I'm starving. A different doctor comes past me. He has a hypnotic look in his eyes. I try to squirm away, but my body is weak. I want to scream, but my lungs are dry. "Don't worry. Here's some food." he whispers. I'm handed a bread roll and a glass of orange juice. I have barely enough energy to eat this, but once I do, I almost instantly feel better. "You'll be let out tomorrow, where you get to see your mentors and eat dinner so you'll be ready for the replay. After you almost drowned, we had to give you medical attention." Replay? That's right, I won the Hunger Games. I think I did, at least. I am a bit woozy from the drug they gave me. I decide to sleep again, thrilled to finally see my mentors, especially Mags again.

I have another nightmare, of Leo being attacked by a swarm of arrows. Once they disappear, a pack of the hybrid squirrel mutts take their place, chasing Leo. They're too fast. They devour his flesh and bones. I wake up in a cold sweat, but I have nothing connected to my arm. "Can I leave now?" I croak. The doctor whips his head around and sticks something in my ear. "Your temperature is stable, you don't seem irregular. You may leave, Miss Cresta." I nod my head as a thanks and leap out of the bed. I swing open the door and stumble out. At the end of the hallway is my mentors and stylists. I run towards them, well, jog. Finnick rushes towards me and embraces me in a hug. I'm shocked at his impulsiveness, but I don't let go for some reason. I hug back before he pulls away and reveals a red face. "Sorry." He whispers. Mags staggers towards me and gives me a hug as well. "I knew you'd make it!" she smiles. Next comes Fedora and Beret. "Congratulations Annie!" Fedora says, wiping away a tear. I give her one of my most kindest smiles and go over to Beret. "I'm so sorry about Zac. Everyone. It was my fault he died. I didn't save him…he deserved to live, he was younger, had a better heart." Beret holds his manicured finger to my face and shakes his head. "You also deserved to win. Just because he was younger doesn't mean you weren't equal to him." I sigh and look at Mags, who is nodding her head. "I guess so…" She grabs my hand and I'm led back to the Tribute Centre.

While we walk, I try to sort out things in my head. Why did Finnick hug me? Mags gave me a hug, but she wasn't blushing or anything. And Beret is wrong. It's my fault that Zac died. I shouldn't of ran away, I should've stayed and fought her. Apart from dinner, the only thing I'm looking forward to is finally seeing my parents. My mother, her careful arms to wrap around me while my father strokes my head. Just the thought of it leaves a big grin on my face and a warm feeling inside me.

We reach the Tribute Centre where Prunella greets us at the door. "Oh, congratulations!" she squeals. "Sorry I was late; some people don't understand the difference between roast and fried!" Prunella sighs, her eyes like knives towards the Avox's who look down in shame. I want to say something, but it's not my place. "Let's eat, Annie." Mags smiles. I sit down at the chair next to Mags. Dora sits on the other side of me. Across from me is Finnick, who doesn't look up from his plate. I'm handed a plate with a few bread rolls and a steak. After I quickly eat the serving, I'm handed a small pile of vegetables. _Is that it?_ For someone who just survived the Hunger Games, this isn't really a big meal. I guess it's not a celebration though. The adults talk about the replay and what I'm going to wear, but I zone out. The awful muttations are attacking me, ripping my skin off my bones. I can hear them, the awful chittering noise that they make. It won't stop. I cover my ears and squeeze my eyes, hoping to block out the noise. It calms down, but I can still hear them, see them. "Annie!" a voice yells. I feel a hand grasp my arm. Everyone is gathered around me, I turn around and see Dora holding my arm. "Are you okay?" Mags asks. I nod my head and continue to stare off into the distance, waiting for dinner to be over.

I can hear them whispering about me as I go to change into my pyjamas. This time, it's a soft cotton shirt with matching shorts. I stumble into the bathroom and brush my teeth before falling asleep in my bed. I'm watching the replays tomorrow. Great.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry I uploaded two chapters in such a short amount of time, I just wanted to make up time for when I didn't upload. I hope you enjoy nevertheless. Remember, I think every author loves reviews. Yeah, we like views, but we want your feedback.**

Amity bathes me in the chemicals again while Nikola does my nails. I don't know where Amethyst is…maybe finding hair products? I listen to their boring conversation while they do their work. I zone out, imagining District Four when we get back. I can't wait to swim, catch fish with my father. Just like old times. And we'll have more money too. Enough to afford a new home. Wait, I'm being assigned a new home next to Finnick, Mags and the other victors in the Victors Village. I've never been there, but if it's one of the prizes for being a Victor, it must be really fancy. It doesn't matter anyways, the houses in Four are usually fine, apart from the ones built out of weak materials when flooding season comes. I'm dragged out of the bath and into another, this time with the calmer liquids. Once I dry off, my hair is styled so it's wavy and it's adorned in seashells. Amity applies make-up to my face with her careful fingers, tracing around my eyes and lips. Nikola comes over and paints my nails with iridescent paint.

Fedora struts in with another white clothing bag. I close my eyes and dress into a silky cloth. I step into high heels and wait for Dora to tell me to open my eyes. When she does, I look in the mirror. I see a totally different girl. She has wavy red hair with makeup that brings out the green in her eyes. Her dress is like a seashell, pale and beautiful. I notice something flickering in my head. Small little seashells are knotted into my hair. I twist my head from left to right, making them dance about. "Thank you." I whisper. "My pleasure. Good job on the victory, Annie Cresta. Now let's take you to the stage!" Dora takes my hand and pulls me through multiple doors until I can hear music. I don't even have time to think before I hear my name called.

"Welcome, Annie Cresta! Victor of the 70th Hunger Games! How are you today, Miss Cresta?" Caesar Flickerman grins. I smile back and try to adjust my eyes to the glare. "I'm doing great." I stare into the audience. I swear there's more people this time. "Annie?" Caesar asks. I slowly blink and smile. "Yes, Caesar?" He points up at a big screen I hadn't noticed before. "The replay's are about to start!" I straighten my back and look up. The screen flashes to the bloodbath. I watch myself run past the tributes, grabbing the trident. I see the dead bodies everywhere. I don't know what to do. I take a deep breath and continue to watch. It'll be over eventually. I watch all the gruesome deaths; Leo's flesh pierced by an arrow, the girl getting attacked by Ivy, Casey being impaled with a spear. Blood flashes across the screen over and over.

Caesar pauses at the lake where Zac and I were having a water fight. The scene replays in my head, clear as day. A smile spreads across my face as I remember how wet my hair was although I didn't go underneath the water. "Was this the last happy moment you shared with him?" Caesar asks. "It was." I frown. The video continues to play. I see the blood drip down my back, making me wince. Then the ambush of squirrels, which seems to be sped up. I don't think I was running that fast. The screen flicks over to Casey happily eating a can of meat when a spear enters her body. I'm hyperventilating. I close my eyes, hoping to miss Zac being beheaded, but I open my eyes just as it flies off. I scream as loud as I can, crying my eyes out at the same time. It's the same thing all over again. I'm in the arena, aren't I? Is this some sort of simulation? Am I hallucinating from lack of oxygen? Caesar's golden locks draw me out of my daze. "And this is when the flood began, right?" He gives a small frown as I take my hands off my ears. "Yes, it was. I had to climb the tree to avoid the water." Caesar looks at me with confusion. "But you could swim." I nod my head slowly. "That's right, but the water was moving at such at fast pace, I couldn't handle it with barely any energy. And there would've been a lot of bacteria floating around." I watch the rest of the video. For sure I'll be seeing a lot of drowning children in my dreams tonight, especially the ones I saw up close, like the little girl I kicked away, the girl on the log, Ivy.

It feels like a haze, being dragged off to the tribute centre, ridding my face of the makeup and sitting for dinner. I can't stop thinking of home, and what I will do when I get there. I want to keep fishing, or at least swim. I could teach the younger kids how to swim. That'll be fun, watching toddlers wade in the rockpools. I saw at the steak, trying to cut it into smaller pieces so I'm able to actually fit into my mouth. Do the people from Ten eat this sort of stuff? It's so rubbery and chewy, but it's food. I slowly flick the peas around on my plate, unable to touch them after the steak. The chicken we had before was much more edible to me.

"Can't eat?" Finnick says. I shake my head and he takes my plate and eats my own vegetables. And here I thought he was being concerned. Mags strokes my hair, her face filled with worry. "Annie, if there's something wrong, we're here for you." She says, glaring at Finnick, who is licking the gravy of my plate, "I'm here for you." I smile and watch Mags take the plate off Finnick, which is nearly dripping with his saliva. I shudder in disgust and give the Avox my plates.

"I'm going to bed, good night everyone." I whisper, even though no one would hear. I take off the seashell dress and hang it over the door. I have a quick shower, lathering my hair in cinnamon-smelling suds. When I come out to change into pyjamas, my dress has disappeared and replaced with a cup of water. I place it on the bedside counter and fall onto my satin bedsheets. I can count on one hand how many days I have left until I can finally go home, be with my parents, be with the sea. I can almost hear the waves, tapping the sand with its elegant movement. I get to go home after tomorrow. One more day, a simple interview, then I can be home. I have to sleep, I don't need my prep team's worrying over the bags under my eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello! I hadn't checked my email yesterday and I was greeted with a flush of notifications from you guys. I love your feedback, but please tell me where this is. I did fix up the scores though :). Hope you enjoy this chapter, please review! I love it when you guys do!**

I barely get to eat my breakfast of toast and eggs before they take me to the preparation room. My eyebrows are plucked once again, and my arms and legs are waxed until they sting. I'm sort of used to the lucid chemicals they wash me in now, but it's still painful and definitely not fun. They comb through my knotted hair. I can feel the salty tears in my eyes. I let out a sigh of relief when Fedora takes over. "They bathed you in the chemicals, didn't they?" I nod and cover my eyes with my burning hands. The tapping of her boots return and I feel a dress fall into my arm. I struggle to put it on; it must weigh a kilo. "Open your eyes!" Dora says. My dress is more of a leotard with a skirt attached. It's a silvery leotard with a transparent skirt, pearls instead of a hemming. I look like an underwater princess, especially when Dora adds a tiara on top.

"Thank you, for making me look beautiful." I smile as I hug her. She ties a small pearl to my necklace and shakes her head. "I didn't make you look beautiful. I just helped make people realise you already are." Before I can object, she takes me to the backstage. There's a small platform I will be on before I'm taken to the stage. I shove the door open, forcing a layer of dust to fall over me. I step onto the platform and another glass dome captures me, encasing me in it's cold air. It takes a while for me to rise: they must be talking to my mentors. When I do surface, I see Mags and Finnick in the audience. A light flashes over me and follows my path as I walk to the chair.

"Welcome, Annie Cresta, once again. How was your day today?" Caesar Flickerman cheers. I tentatively sit on the small chair and smile to the audience. "It was lovely, a nice breakfast of toast and eggs." _Yeah, a great morning until my hair was ripped out of its roots and they soaked me in…acid. _The layer of dust is sparkling in the stage lights, making me glisten as if I was underwater. "How was yours?" I ask a little too innocently. The audience giggles, making me feel even more uncomfortable than I am now. Caesar goes on about his day, about all the things he's been doing. I can't be bothered to listen, even if I did, a small quavering light is distracting me. I watch it wriggle over the floor and slowly coming closer, as if it was starving of attention and I was the only one that could give it. My arm jerks as someone taps it. "Exciting, wasn't it? Enough of me, Annie, how did you feel when you heard that fanfare. The one that signalled your victory?" Terrified would be my honest answer, but I can't be portrayed as the weakling victor. "Proud. I thought Zac would win. _He_ had potential." I lie. Well, I did think Zac would be the victor, except when I saw Ivy. She nearly won too. "Yes, such a strong young man…" Caesar sighs, "Any who, are you excited to get back home? What are you waiting for." I can almost feel the vivid spray of the sea, wiping the hair off my face as I slice through the water. "Definitely excited, Caesar." I describe more about home, trying not to ramble on about the same topic. I just want this to be over. Once it does, I sigh in relief and hide in the backstage.

My tiara begins it's journey off my head, slowly slipping and detangling itself. I constantly have to adjust it so it doesn't fall off. The pearls entwine and create a tiny, almost musical rhythm. I brush past multiple people, trying to find someone who can take me to the train. I want to get out of here as soon as I can. Elbows nudge me and hands flutter like butterflies, but not even Prunella passes by me. I am truly alone. I sit on an upturned crate and try to scratch the nail polish off my fingers. No matter how many times I try to make an opening with my sharp nails, the paint doesn't budge. "There you are!" a female voice shrieks. I look up and see a bright green ball of fuzz. Prunella. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find anyone." I mutter as she yanks at my hand, "Can I go home now?" I don't think she heard me, as she rants on about how she was almost going to call President Snow. As if. I am pulled through the door and into an unfamiliar room. "You may go now." a Peacekeeper whispers. His police-like helmet turns towards me and he points towards the table. Prunella rushes out the door and I walk to the table to see someone sitting in front of it.

"Hello, Miss Cresta. Pleasure to meet this years' victor. I assume you're just aching to go back to Four, but I had to give you a message first." A gruff voice says. The chair wheels around and I stare into his eyes. _It's President Snow._ I have never seen him in person, only occasionally on the television. If I listened to the video they played at the Reaping more, I would've at least recognised his voice. "Hi." I sputter. I can't think of anything else to say. Is this customary? The Victor meeting the President before they leave for their district? The man in front of me is the person who runs the Hunger Games. He's the cause of my nightmares. I want to escape, but he somehow has a hold on me. Not physically, but I am stuck in place, possibly paralysed from shock. "You're a very pretty Victor. But, no one wants the crazy girl." Is that what people see me as? Crazy? Delusional? Mental? I feel my jaw hang. "Beware, Annie Cresta. We can't let people thinking that everyone goes crazy after the Games. You see, we can easily tell you were mad from the beginning. The Games just brought it out from you." I nod my head, although any sane person knows that the Hunger Games isn't a drama performance. Well, the Capitol people may not, but I did say 'any _sane_ person'. President Snow takes a sip of tea, covering the top with his gloved hand. He coughs into a tissue and glares into my eyes. "Learn how to control your emotions." Two hands grab my wrists and I'm pulled out of the room and I hear the door click.

_Where do I go?_ I can't process what he just said. It must be true. The way I screamed, cried, zoned out multiple times. Except I didn't go crazy out of nowhere. Zac's head, rolling off the neck pushed me off the edge, along with watching Casey and Leo die from brutal deaths. Then there's the multiple deaths I witnessed during the flood. I am about to walk off and ask someone for help when the Peacekeeper opens the door. "This way, ma'am." I follow his loud footsteps, once again trying to sort things out. What does he mean by 'beware'. What type of trouble could I get into from a mere scream? I'm guessing a lot. The Peacekeeper realises I'm not paying any attention and grabs my hand. I walk with him, thinking of a little girl. I feel my cheeks turn red. How embarrassing, for a grown man having to hold a girls hand just so she can find her mentors. I stare at my feet until I hear Finnick yell my name.

Finnick talks with the Peacekeeper for a minute as I try to calm my flushed cheeks. Did people take photos? I'm already mad, I don't want to be the mad little girl too. "Come on, you." Finnick says. He grabs my hand as well and leads me to the elevator. His hand is soft and warm, with his fingers shaped exactly like mine. I almost object when he begins to let go. I haven't had any real human contact since I hugged my parents. "Are we going to the train now?" I ask impatiently. He sighs and presses the fourth button. "Not quite yet. We're getting Mags and Prunella. You can say goodbye to your stylist if you want. You're not going to see her 'till the Victory Tour." I forgot about the tour. So smart to be placed a few months before the next Hunger Games. So the memory is fresh in everyone's mind. I look up at Finnick, who is staring at me. "Pretty dress you got there. Pity you'll never be able to wear it again." I slide my finger across the fabric. I wish I could keep it and give it to the schoolgirls who don't have much money. Or even so they can wear something to their school graduation.

Fedora and Beret are sitting on the couch, sketching on notebooks when I enter. I can hear shuffling in one of the bedrooms. I immediately walk to my room and take off the dress. I have a quick shower before dressing into my Reaping clothes; a navy-blue jumpsuit. The dress has been replaced with a small plate of crackers and cheese, which I don't touch. I have nothing to take, so I walk right over to Fedora and Beret and embrace them in a hug. "Thank you for your beautiful work." I smile. Fedora holds back tears as she gives me multiple compliments. Mags whispers to me that I have to go. "See you next year!" I shriek.

Prunella leads us with her swift movements. She's got this place memorised. I can hear the cameras clicking as we enter the train. "Smile. They'll love it." Finnick grins. I face the cameras and spread the corners of my mouth. I sit on a chair and feel the train begin to move. I look out the window, watching the flashing lights slowly fade away. "What was your job?" Finnick asks me. "Before I got reaped?" I say. He nods and picks at a muffin. "I hunted sharks. Occasionally fish." He scoffs and I roll my eyes. "What did you do, Finnick?" I see the factories of District One. Somewhere inside is Ivy's family, grieving for their daughter. "Funny story. I only had a few years hunting sharks before I got millions of dollars in my bank account." If he hadn't got reaped, would I have seen him there? He is only around two years older than me. Why is he suddenly being nice to me? Does he accept me as a fellow Victor? Or has he been ordered to not trigger the insane girl. I start to see the waves and sand and instantly forget about my problems. I debate if I jump out, could I get there quicker? I can almost see my house, where my parents wait.

The train slows down and the doors swing open. I run out and through the foliage. "Annie?" Mags croaks. I can't help it. I can just feel the warmth of my parents. They'll run towards me, mouths wider than the sky. Then I'll be lost in happiness. I reach the wooden door. I remind myself to calm down and I open the door. No ones in there. I search the entirety of the household. Not a soul is inside. Victors Village! They must be there! I lock the door and run across the sand. Finnick is on the lawn of one of the houses, talking to Mags. "Have you seen my parents?" I don't need to explain them, they saw my parents when I was reaped. Who else would start to cry when I got picked. "Mags, can you do it?" Finnick whispers under his breath. She slowly nods her head and walks towards me. Her hands wrap around my own and she stares into my green eyes. Mags has certain features-her glossy hair, sparkling eyes, smooth skin- that make me sure that she was a beautiful young lady. "Annie, I'm so sorry." Sorry? About what? I don't even care at the moment about my mental state. I just want to see my parents. "They were found dead…most likely from heart attack." Who is she talking about? "Who?" I ask. "Your parents."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey again! I had this huge hassle with the Word document I had the story on going missing, then I had to rewrite a whole 5 chapters. It's all good now, and I like the way they went this time :D Hope you enjoy!**

I have been locked in my room for over…two weeks? I haven't left my new room. It's not that exciting, just a plain white room with a small closet, window, bed and a nightside table. Oh, there's also an ensuite, but I barely go inside it. Mags…or Finnick, I don't know, have been leaving food at my door, but I usually just pick at the food. I can't bring myself to eat, it'd just come right back up.

My parents. The ones that are smiling in the photo frame about a metre away from me. Gone. _Because of Snow._ He warned me. How was I so stupid? What did I expect he was planning to do when he told me to watch out? I keep telling myself that I couldn't have saved them anyways, but it _really _is my fault. I was the one that let my emotions get out of hand.

What have I been doing for the last two weeks anyways? I barely sleep because of the nightmares, I don't do anything. I have flashbacks often, of the arena, of my parents. For the former, the only way to get them to stop is to cover my ears and shut my eyes. I should get out, maybe swim, but I don't want to talk to anyone.

I hear a knock on the door and my muscles tense. I stop breathing. I don't want the person to know I'm in here. They stand there for a while, around two minutes. My face is probably redder than a tomato. Footsteps fade away. They're leaving. I finally let the air out of my lungs and slump onto the bed. I'm a bit peckish, so I open the door and pick up a few slices of cucumber with hummus. I slide the cucumber around the edges of the container, half-in and half-out of the world. My mind is pre-occupied with something else. _The beach._

I pull a chair to the windowsill and stare at the ocean, waves sliding over the sand. I see my father, and a barely two-year-old me. As soon as I could walk, I was whisked to the ocean and he taught me how to swim. I see myself floating on my back, then slowly dipping my head into the water. I blink and a new memory appears. My mother is swimming towards me, arms wide open. I leap into them and she spins me around in the water. I miss them both. I miss them so bad. I wipe away tears welling in my eyes and look down at my plate. I haven't touched my cucumbers, apart from a nibble on the one I'm holding.

Over the past week, I've started to eat more and take occasional showers, but I only do it for the sake of my parents. They wouldn't want to see me like this. _My parents. I need to do something for them._ I can't just…say goodbye. I need to do something special. More than a funeral. Something meaningful.

I dress into a new shirt and pair of shorts, then tie my matted hair into a bun. I slip into my sneakers and finally wash my face with cold water. I put on a large hat to cover my face and walk downstairs. I fiddle with my keys and lock the door. _I hope I don't run into anyone._ Luckily enough, it's school/work hours so not many people would be out and about. I run to the miniscule forest near the beach with a basket I grabbed. I kneel down and pluck a bunch of pretty flowers and gently drop them in the basket. I make sure that there is plenty of the stem, then I walk back home and sit in the living room. I get a knife and saw off the handle of the basket, then trim the edges with the flowers. I open the room that I keep my parents' stuff in and choose one of the many photos I have of them. I place it in the basket, along with a note I made, appreciating them.

Once the sun sets and the moon is high in the air, I walk to the shore with the basket, surfboard, a wooden plank and a packet of candles. I light the candles and adorn the beach, hoping the wind doesn't blow them out. Lucky it's not too windy. I carry the plank, basket wobbling on top and lay on the surfboard, then I push myself out into the ocean. I swim in a straight line to prevent getting lost.

I eventually reach the barrier. I've never seen one before. It's a metal gate that prevents swimmers from getting lost. I'm pretty sure our other beach doesn't have a barrier, but it's strictly only for work. Now that I'm a Victor, I am not allowed access there. The barrier is at least thrice my height, and it's slippery. I can't climb it. I hook the end of my surfboard to one of the metal poles and dive down. The bottom has tiny lightbulbs everywhere. There's a hole at the bottom of the gate, too small for a human being to fit through.

I rise to the surface and look out through the gate bars. If I push the basket through, it should rise up and I can push it away. I swing the basket over my wrist and slip the note inside the photo frame so it's on the side of the picture. Hopefully water doesn't leak through. I sink to the bottom again and squeeze the basket through, grating off some of the material. I come back up and sit on the surfboard, fingers crossed. I'm about to give up and curse at myself for wasting a photograph, but I hear a splash and the basket is bobbing on the water. I reach through the gate and push it away from me and it does, floating towards the horizon.

"Goodbye, mother. Goodbye, father." I whisper.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Odesta warning! Hehe! Thank you for reading, but I really like reviews! It gives us authors feedback and how to improve, and we just like knowing how you thought of the story :D Hope you enjoy, favourite&follow if you liked it! Happy Hunger Games!**

I clench my teeth as they rip the wax off my skin. I can't tell what's worse, this or the "acid" bath. Amethyst shrieks as she sees my matted hair. "You should be brushing this, young lady!" I roll my eyes and watch Nikola's focus on my nails while my hair is being ripped out of my scalp. It's torture, but I'm starting to get used to it. I'm eventually rushed out of the door and onto the train.

"Annie!" Finnick says. Finnick and I…I'd call him a friend. Nothing more…but he does have a nice smile. And pretty eyes. And really smooth skin. But he's still my friend. Except he leaves for what he calls 'Capitol Business' nearly every six days, and stays there overnight. I think somethings up, but I don't know what. I shake my head and point towards the door. I have to meet Fedora.

I'm yanked by the arm and pulled through multiple carriages until I finally meet with Fedora, who is sitting in the middle on a small wooden table. There's mirrors surrounding the room. I can't help but stare at myself. I'm so skinny and frail. Dora looks up and I see how tired she is. She sips a cup of coffee, but that won't do anything about the bags under her eyes. I'm handed a white bag and I quickly change into the dress inside.

It's a very pretty dress. The top is white, but once it reaches the sparkly ribbon around my waist, there's a skirt of matte gold. I even have matching gold shoes. Fedora finally gets up and ties a satin snow coloured ribbon around my bun. I look like a princess. I don't feel like one though.

I hear the dong of a bell and I wave goodbye to Dora, who shakily smiles. How long has she been working on the outfits for? I bolt out of the train as fast as I can and Mags meets me at the Justice Building. It's hard not to spot it, it's the tallest building. I barely have the time to speak to Mags before the mayor of One introduces me. Prunella slips a stack of palm cards into my hands and pats me on the head. Where'd she even come from? I put on my biggest smile and step outside.

While the applause dies down; which looks pretty forced, I stare at the large podiums. The one on the left holds a large image of Ivy, underneath is a man and a woman with three kids. They must be her family. They look angry, no, sad. Both. They also look just like Ivy. Just their eyes aren't as neon as hers. To my right is the podium with a picture of Leo. His freckles are so apparent. His family contains a man who must be his father, an elderly woman and a young girl. I'm guessing the women are his grandmother and the girlfriend he mentioned in the interviews.

"Good afternoon, District One. Before I talk about your amazing tributes, on the behalf of the Capitol, I'd like to thank you for working hard in your industry to supply luxuries for not only the Capitol, but Panem. The Capitol would not be as fantastic as they are today." I smile. "I would like to give my greatest sorrows to the family's who lost their children this year. Ivy and Leo were both wonderful people." _Ivy? Wonderful? Does Prunella even watch the Hunger Games?_ "Thank you for listening." The audience claps and starts to break apart. I take a deep breath and head inside.

My nightmares were filled with Ivy and Leo. The one I remember the most about Leo was that he was being chased by a flying swarm of arrows. They moved as if they were being guided by a controller. I watched behind thick glass, them catching up and piercing his skin. The one I remember about Ivy was horrible. We were at a dinner table and she asked me to pass the knife. I did, and she tapped it on the meat once before turning around and chucking it towards me.

Since I took a shower last night, all I need to do is brush through my already-smooth hair. I change into a navy-blue jumpsuit and go to the dining carriage. "Good morning." Mags smiles. "Where's Fedora?" I ask. I didn't get to see her this morning. "Resting. She's been working hard on your clothes." I sit between her and Finnick. Finnick gives me a smile and passes me a glass of water. "If you get to see her, tell her I appreciate it." I smile. I load my plate with hash browns and a slice of toast. District Eleven would've supplied the potato for the hash brown and District Nine would've supplied the grain for the toast. Just like how the meat is from Ten, their electricity is from Dive, the coal for the districts is from Twelve, the lumber is from Seven etc. Without us, the Capitol wouldn't be able to survive. It's not like they can just learn how to fish in a single week. For the people in Four, it's in our blood. From our ancestors. I already knew the best ways to fish when I was seven.

"Finnick, am I mentoring with you this year?" I ask even though my mouth is full of food, "Since I'm new and all?" He sighs and gives his plate to an Avox. I forgot about them. They've got their heads in cage-like helmets. I wonder what they did to be mutilated like this. I finish up my food and give it to them, then wait for Finnick to answer my question. "No, we've decided you're not…fit for the job. Don't take it personally, really." _How can I not take it personally? He basically just told me that I'm too insane to mentor tributes._ I initially hoped he was going to say no, but now that he's doubting my mental state, I'm filled with anger. A simple no would've been better.

The rest of the morning is a daze, just talking about the outfits and the districts. When I step up onto the stage today, the audience has a whole different…mood. They aren't angry or anything. They look happy, or at least, act happy. Casey's family is a woman with a little boy. Damon's family of five isn't _too _big, but compared to Casey's it looks large.

I clear my throat and take a peek at the palm cards. They sound so Capitol it hurts. I smile at the crowd and begin. "Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen of District Two. Before I talk about the wonderful tributes that were reaped this year, on behalf of the Capitol, I'd like to acknowledge the work that you do, working hard for to supply items like weapons that are used to protect our country from dangerous animals and rebels." The word _rebels_ lingers around on my tongue. Is that who the Avoxes are? Rebels that have failed their attempts? How did I not know that earlier is probably a better question.

I look over to Casey's podium, the girl who I would consider my closest friend during that time, then I look over to Damon, who saved me by pushing me away from Ivy. Well, that's what I think. I slide the palm cards into my pocket and take a deep breath. Hopefully Prunella won't be too mad that I'm not using the weird cards. This is just something I have to say to them, myself. Something real. "Casey Prescott was friendly girl. She had a sense of humour, a brave heart and was one of the _kindest_ people I ever met. I thank her for lightening my spirits and becoming a friend to turn to." I smile. Casey's mother mouths a 'thank you' and her little brother gives me a massive smile. "I didn't really get to know Damon, he was always with Ivy and I was always with Zac and Casey, but in the last moments of his life, he did something I could never forget. He saved me by pushing me away from Ivy." I gulp. I don't tell them how I'm still not sure about that. They'd think of me as stupid, because it's probably more clear to them than me, "I will appreciate his strength and ability to keep himself together although his district partner had died. Thank you for listening." As I walk to Mags, she gives me a hug and whispers into my ear, "That was beautiful."

The rest of the Victory Tour is basically the same. Wake up, change, eat breakfast, speech, change, eat lunch, free time, dinner, change, bed. It was horrible visiting the poorer districts like District Eleven and Twelve. The children were so thin that you could see the shape of their bones through their clothes. Some were even shaking. _Why is the world like this? Why do they get everything and we don't? Who told them they could take everything and leave the ones who weren't so lucky starving to death?_ It's stupid.

I'm thrilled when we finally get home to Four. I'm only going to be there for one day though, before I go to the Capitol for a banquet. When I feel the train stop, I leap off my chair and take Finnick by the hand. "Come on! I can hear music!" I smile. He laughs and follows me towards the city centre. When we finally reach it, I don't know how to describe it in one word. There's banners hanging everywhere, a loud yet talented band, food and drinks, and best of all, most of District Four. And they're all dancing.

"Care for a dance?" Finnick says in a posh voice. "I'll be glad." I return equally as fancy. The dance is simple. You hold hands with a few other people and slowly turn in a circle, tapping your feet to the rhythm. We constantly switch around, getting lost in the crowd. I eventually get a stitch and have to take a break. I sit by the shore and watch the chubby adults chug down beer near a group of pre-schoolers who are trying to copy the older kids who can do the dance already. I turn around and face the ocean. I stretch my back and think about tomorrow. I don't know what I'll do. Will people be judging me for how I acted?

I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't notice Finnick sitting next to me. "You like the party?" he asks. "Yeah, it was fun. I got a stitch after a while so I decided to sit out." He moves an inch closer and my heartbeat quickens. "I'm going out for Capitol business so I won't be at the banquet. Mags will be there though." I frown for a second but cover it up with a yawn. "That's fine. Hey, I was going to ask…" I don't get to finish my sentence. He leans in closer and presses his lips to mine. Now I really understand the term 'butterflies in my stomach'. His fingers slide across my cheek and I instantly miss the warmth as they leave. The whole time, I'm thinking.

_He's kissing me. _

_Do I like him kissing me?_

_I don't mind him kissing me._

_I like him kissing me._


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Ah, great. Odesta warning below! Like, MAJOR! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember to leave a review if you have ANYTHING to say. Leave a favourite/follow if you want to be updated/you like the fic. May the odds be ****_ever _****in your favour.**

"This year's tributes," President Snow says, voice clear although it's a memory, "Will be reaped from the existing pool of Victors."

Finnick holds me close to him as we walk to the Justice Building. We still have ten minutes 'till the reaping, but since we're Victors, we have to look 'proper.' Any one of us could be reaped. I just hope it's not Mags, Finnick or me. Not me. Please not me. Once I see that everyone else is ready, I freeze. I haven't thought about anything. I start to panic. I can just see my name being picked out, then being rushed to the Justice Building. I cover my eyes and refuse to move. "Annie. Annie." he says, "Look at me. I said look at me. Calm down. You might not get reaped. I might not get reaped. Mags might not get reaped. Don't panic over nothing." It's like he was reading my thoughts. When Prunella orders the Reaping to begin, he kisses me on the forehead and we wish each other good luck.

I stand between Prunella and Mags. Prunella starts the reaping and makes us watch that boring video again. While it plays, I think of who the opponents might be. The girl from Twelve, Katniss Everdeen, is definitely going. She's the only female Victor. I wonder if her boyfriend will go too. I bet Enobaria will try and get in. Her sharp teeth terrify me. I can't decide if she's worse than Ivy. Ivy didn't kill people by ripping out their throats though.

"Let's begin with the ladies!" Prunella chirps. She dips her fingertips in the bowl and swirls around for a bit, like that will do anything. She pulls out a name and its so quiet, I don't even hear birds. "Annie Cresta!" I collapse to the floor and scream as loud as possible. _I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dying. _I can hear the cannons, see the blood. Everything's so clear. I clamp my hands so hard over my ears that I wonder if my skull will crack. I trap the tears in my eyes by shutting them tightly. I feel someone brush past me. I stop having a fit for a second to see who it is. It's Mags. She points at her chest and raises her head. It takes a while for me to decipher her little code. She had a stroke last year, and ever since then, her voice has been very hard to understand, so she does sign language. "No! M-M-Mags, you can't v-v-volunteer." I hiccup through sobs. She shakes her head and walks into the Justice Building. _She's too old. She won't make it. _

"Now for the boys!" Prunella continues as if nothing just happened, "Finnick Odair!" _That's it. Just what Finnick said wouldn't happen._ I might lose them both. I fall back to the ground and scream and cry at the same time. I can't think of anything else to do. Everything hurts; my heart, my stomach, my head, my arms, even my hair. My head sits in the pool of my tears and I feel someone rubbing my back.

"Annie. Come inside the Justice Building. Crying isn't going to do anything." Finnick says. How is he so brave? If Mags hadn't volunteered for me, I would've broken down even more than I am already. I'm guessing no one volunteered for him, or Finnick would've mentioned it. I hold his hand, similar to a small child and walk with him, then I quickly see Mags first.

"Mags! W-why did you volunteer for me?" I weep. Mags sits me down on the chair and strokes my hair. She grabs a piece of paper and quickly scribbles down a small paragraph.

_'Annie, I love you, and you know that. I would do anything for you or Finnick. I'm getting old anyways, but you have plenty of years in you. You deserve to live the rest of your life. If I die in there, just know, I love you, and I always will.' _I embrace her in a hug and weep into her shoulder. "I love you too Mags." I smile. She taps her hand and I give her back the note. She scribbles down one more sentence.

'_Better go to Finnick, you wouldn't want to miss out on kissing him, would you?_' I blush and give her a light laugh. I wish her goodbye and good luck and exit the room, eyes all teary. I walk across the hall and into Finnick's room, where he pats the seat next to him.

Once I sit down, he kisses me on the cheek. I move my face slightly to the right so he kisses me full on the lips. It may be our last kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck and he wraps his around my waist, and we stay there for a long time.

"Finnick, you have to win." I finally say. "For me…for Mags." Finnick's face drops when I say Mags. I know what he's thinking. Him winning means that Mags will be dead. "I will try my best."

"No, that's not enough. You won't try, you will be your best. You need to win, for me. I can't live without you." He stares into my eyes for a long time. "I know. And I can't live without you."

He continues to kiss me, and I don't object. We stay there, me on his lap and his hand on my hip until the Peacekeepers drag me out.

And then I feel empty.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: {Insert sobbing emoticon} Odesta :( Hope you enjoyed this chapter, review/favourite/follow (or all 3 ;) if you liked this! Quote: ****_Love is weird._**** -Johanna Mason, Catching Fire**

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I sit in the cold jail cell where they're keeping me. It all happened so fast. I was watching the Games, tears rolling down my eyes, then we saw Katniss pointing her bow at the sky. Once she drew her arrow, it got struck by lightning and electrocuted the wall. The TV turned off and I started to scream. Did Finnick die? Is he dead? I still don't know.

_But Mags. She died for Finnick, Katniss and Peeta. _Just the thought of her, just her name makes me scream. The guards point their guns at me and tell me to shut up. I do as they're told, just in case Finnick is alive. I don't want to leave him alone for the rest of his life.

Johanna Mason and Peeta Mellark is with me here, except they're in the rooms across from me. I hear their screams daily, their sobs and pounding fists. Peeta's being screaming something about Katniss and mutts, maybe something to do with the arena? I don't even know why we've been put here. I spend all day curled up in the corner of the room, eyes shut and whispering to myself. _I'm a prisoner forever._

I sit on my bed and stare at the gates. Multiple Peacekeepers block the gate, disallowing me from seeing across. I wipe a layer of dust off my nightgown, but suddenly hear a thump. I slowly look up and one-by-one, the guards collapse to the ground. A thick layer of smoke sprays in. It licks my back as I run to the corner. The smoke twirls around me and I curl into a ball. I take a deep breath and try not to breathe it in. It knocks me out anyways.

_Where am I?_ My mind is fuzzy and I can't see a thing. There's beeps and clicks around me, but that's all I can tell. _You're alive. If you're alive, that means your safe._ My muscles are stiff and I feel…empty. A fluid flows through my veins and I'm knocked out again.

The next time I rise, I can open my eyes. I'm in a hospital bed with soft, yellow lights shining down on me. I lift my head and a small man is on my right. "Where am I?" I mutter, but my voice is too quiet. I clear my throat and speak again. "Where am I?" He turns around and his shaggy brown hair sways as he does. "In a hospital." I turn to my left as he checks my ears. I can see a bald woman next to me. It's Johanna Mason. I look past her to see an empty hospital bed, no Peeta. Did he not make it? Or is his condition worse than ours?

"Johanna, your hair." I mutter. She lets out a laugh and rips a tube out of her arm. The doctors try to put it back in, but she yells violent things at them. "Not as bad as Peeta. Every day, they shoved him in front of a screen that played a video of Fire-Girl and him. Then they'd give him a needle and replayed the video. He started to go insane. Talked to himself, yelling at everyone, including me. He started to call Katniss a mutt, now he screams randomly. He's in rehabilitation." I stay there in shock. I slip back into the covers and stare at the door. This can't be the Capitol. Everyone is dressed in grey jumpsuits and the room smells like concrete and cleaning supplies. Am I in another district? Maybe this is the rebellion that they questioned me about.

I nearly lose it when I see him. He walks in with Katniss, pointing at the door. "Finnick!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I collide into him and press him to the wall. His lips crash into mine and we kiss, ignoring the stares from Katniss, Johanna and the other people. His fingers stroke my head and after what feels like an hour, he breaks and holds my hands. I stare up at him and manage to croak out, "Where are we? Why are we here?" He looks around his shoulder and leads me out of the room.

"We're in District 13. Did you watch the end of the Games?" I nod my head and he squeezes my hand. "There's a rebellion. When Katniss shot the arena, the whole country revolted. District Twelve was destroyed and came here, along with Katniss and I. We're still fighting, but now that Peeta is back, Katniss should cooperate more. And I have you." I manage a smile, but lose it quickly. "Finnick, Peeta was traumatised. He hates Katniss. Ask Johanna for more information, since I wasn't with them, but they've done something to him."

Finnick takes me to the dinner table and we eat side by side. The food is horrendous but edible. Once we're done, we talk about District Four and the ocean. "Annie," he suddenly says, "Can I ask you something?" I smile widely and he drops my hand. I ultimately become scared. _Has he lost his feelings for me? Is he breaking up with me? Is he dating that Katniss now?_ I watch him drop on one knee and hold a glistening ring to my face. "Will you marry me?" The residents of Thirteen gasp with me. I smile and cry and the same time. "Yes!" He picks me up by the waist and spins me around until I get dizzy, then pulls me in to kiss me even more.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: There are two more chapters to go until I can press the 'complete' button. I really hope you enjoyed this series! Annie is a very interesting character and honestly, she was fun to write. I think you guys know what I want you to do ;) (if you don't, i mean review/favourite or follow, but I'd rather you review.) Hope y'all enjoy!**

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I'm in another dress, but instead of an immense fear of guilt and worry in my stomach, I'm giddy with happiness. "Do you, Annie Cresta, take Finnick Odair as your husband, 'till death when you part?" the priest says. "Yes, I do." He turns to Finnick and asks basically the same question. He sprays salty water on our lips and tells us to kiss. We don't kiss for long, because a fiddle starts to play. Finnick takes my hand and we dance with the others, twirling around each other. I giggle and laugh; it's definitely the best day of my life.

Once Plutarch, a rebel Capitol citizen who's second-in-charge, announces that it's time to cut the cake, he cheerfully brings out a dazzling baked good. It's got tiny decorations of the sea with matching icing. It's as tasty as it is beautiful too. I wonder how long it took to make it, let alone decorate it. Nevertheless, I'm thankful. I will ask who decorated it when I get the chance.

I go for seconds and meet Katniss standing by the cake, shoulders sunken and face emotionless. "Thank you for the dress!" I cheer. It's the same one she wore for her Victory Tour when she visited District Five. "No problem." she says, the ends of her mouth curving slightly.

I meet Finnick at the dining table and his hands clasp my fingers. I smile and slice the cake with my fork. The icing melts in your mouth. After I finish, I gaze into the room. Everyone's dancing, cheering. It's so happy compared to the usual District Thirteen, where everyone wears sullen faces and dull attire. Here, I can't spot a single person who isn't smiling. Well, other than Johanna and Katniss. I want to cheer them up somehow, but I can't figure out a way. Johanna's very hostile; I don't want to upset her more than she already is, and Katniss…she's most likely thinking about Peeta, and about his recent torture. I don't know what I'd do if Finnick hated me.

I giggle as arms pull me up from the chair and spin me around. "It's almost over. One more dance?" a strong voice says from behind me. I steady myself and Finnick's hands wrap around my waist and I rest my own on his shoulders. We slowly step around the dance floor. It's a very old dance, slow too, but it represents love and is danced at weddings. I see Katniss and her little sister dancing around us. I would start the new dance-they've even changed the music-but I can't bring myself to stop. So while everyone skips around us, clapping their hands, we continue to waltz.

We've been assigned a new compartment to fit both of us. I wish we could have time to ourselves, but it's dinner time and we have to go back to the dining area. I change into the ugly grey jumpsuit and don't let go of Finnick's hand as we walk to the room and serve ourselves. Everyone's faces are gleaming with positivity. I take a bowl of stew; onions, beef, potatoes all swimming inside. It looks delicious.

Once everyone sits down, Finnick begins to tell a hilarious tale of when a sea turtle stole his hat. I remember it, I was there. It was a normal Saturday, swimming in the ocean and then suddenly, a sea turtle dashed by us and took Finnick's sunhat in his mouth. It took us ages to get it back, but we eventually did.

I feel someone brush past me. I turn to my left and Peeta is standing next to Johanna, who is sitting next to me. His eyes are knives at Katniss and his face is all red. Contorted in anger. His shackled arms hold his tray with the stew sitting on top. Two guards meet at his shoulders. The room instantly goes cold.

"Peeta!" says a girl from Twelve who has very chubby cheeks, "Nice to see you out…and about!" Her face shines with a smile. Johanna swallows her food and points at Peeta's arms. "What's with the fancy bracelets?" Peeta looks down at his arms and sighs. "I'm not quite trustworthy yet. I can't even sit here without your permission." He bends his head back to signal to the guards. I feel terrible for him, having to ask people to sit next to him. It's for the best though. That's what Finnick tells me.

"Sure, he can sit here. We're old friends," says Johanna, patting the chair beside her. The guards nod in approval, letting Peeta sit down. "Peeta and I had adjoining cells in the Capitol. We're very familiar with each other's screams."

_I was right._ Johanna opens her mouth, but all that comes out are her torturing screams. I find my hands closing around my ears. _I can't let them take me._ I feel an arm rub my back and a hot breath whips my ears. It's Finnick. I stare into his seafoam eyes as his mouth quickly moves. I catch a few words, he's telling me to uncover my ears. Everyone is glancing at either me or their dinner plates. I reluctantly remove my hands and lay them on my lap.

"Annie," says the girl again, "did you know it was Peeta who decorated your wedding cake? Back home, his family ran the bakery and he did all the icing." _That's who it was!_ It's hard to see now that a torn-down, angry boy could've been a baker, but from his Reaping footage, it's not too unrealistic. It's almost like I can see it in front of me. Every detail was so perfect, the colour, the shape, the taste. I could not ask for anything better.

"Thank you, Peeta. It was beautiful." I say, leaning back a bit to see Peeta past Johanna. He suppresses a smile and leans forward to see me. "My pleasure, Annie." I peer over to Katniss, who raises an eyebrow-not at me-and puts her fork on the table.

If we're going to fit in that walk, we better go," Finnick says, picking up my dinner trays. He balances them on his left arm and holds me close to him with his right. What walk? "Good seeing you, Peeta." Peeta chuckles and raises an eyebrow at me. "You be nice to her Finnick. Or I might try and take her away from you." Finnick's muscles tense. _What does he mean?! _"Oh Peeta," Finnick smiles, "Don't make me sorry that I restarted your heart." He looks back at Katniss before we go through the doors.

"Finnick, what did Peeta mean?" I say once we reach our room. He rubs his temples and sighs.  
"Peeta's emotions are a bit out of hand. I'm sure he didn't mean it." I shake my head and cross my arms over my chest. "Finnick. What did he mean!" I growl. Why isn't he telling me? "He was being an idiot, okay? He was joking around saying that he would take you away from me if I was ever rude to you." He pulls me close to his chest. "I would never hurt you. Promise."

I lie on the bed and we stay there for a while; Finnick stroking my head while I try to rest. It's hard to when you can hear talking everywhere. It is pretty early. The hand that was previously sliding down my hair has gone still. I look to my left and Finnick has dozed off. I slide next to him and hold his hand and find myself falling asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Heyo! Same old author note! This is the SECOND last chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it though. Review/favourite/follow please and have a nice day :)**

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**You might've seen in my bio that IVolunteerAsDauntless and I had made a shared account. We just uploaded a SYOT, and you're all welcome to enter tributes! Here's the link - s/13359103/1/40th-Hunger-Games-SYOT - Please enter tributes!**

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_"Hello?" I whispered. _The memory is flooding back to me. _"It's President Coin. I'm sorry to give you this information, but Finnick Odair…died while on mission." _

Finnick's face on the pedestal haunts me. It's so, so, so hard to believe. I was shocked and upset at my parent's death, but this...this is different. The wind blows hard on my face like when I sit on the seashore. "Finnick didn't die for no reason. He served in an enormous part of the war that lead us to our victory. Without him, we might not even be able to do this ceremony." Plutarch mumbles.

I wish I could pay more attention, but my eyes trace back to his photograph, soaking up everything I can. The only thing I have left of him is my son. I found out I was pregnant four months ago, I think. A day after I found out about Finnick. They would've done this sooner, but people need to heal. Some people like Beetee can't even walk. They've been paralysed.

"I now call up Finnick's wife, Annie Cresta, to conclude the ceremony." I step up onto the stage and at first have a rush of stage-fright. What will I say? What will I do? How should I stand?! What would Finnick do? I take a deep breath and stare towards Katniss and Johanna, the only other people who truly loved Finnick like I did.

"Finnick was a friend, a son, a husband...and he was going to be a father." I say, watching everyone's eyes widen. My hair whips my face, blown by the wind. I feel a small kick in my stomach. He gave his life for someone. Not only for Panem, but for me and this son.

_I love you, Finnick._

But you can't hear me, can you?

It's been a terrible past few months. I have no one. Not Mags, not Finnick, not my parents. I have no one to turn to, to cry to. Even when I do give birth to my son, I can't put all the pressure on him. I can't cry to him like I did with Finnick and Mags.

All the other Victors from Four are dead. I am the only survivor. I believe the only district that has the most living the victors is District Twelve. I wonder how Peeta and Katniss are doing. I haven't seen them since I voted 'no' for Coin's 'Capitol Hunger Games.' It was a horrible idea, but I wasn't happy when she died. Perhaps relieved, but definitely not happy.

I stroke the photo frame with my thumb and hum the song that played during our wedding. I'm still expecting him to come back, to kiss me on the forehead and tell me about his day, like my parents would. He didn't get the chance to know about his baby. That, that makes the flush of horror revisit me.

I turn to my left and glare at the mirror. Looking back at me is a small girl with a hollow face, shaky arms and lifeless eyes. My stomach is rounder than normal. I need to eat, but I don't feel hungry. My hand slides over the lump slowly, trying to feel for movement. _There's nothing._ My heart stops for a second. _Is it dead?_

I feel a kick and gasp. I break out in tears, half-relieved and half upset at myself for not caring for the baby. After a few minutes of my head in a pool of salty water, I lift myself off and walk downstairs. The house smells like Finnick, even though he was only here for visits. I gulp and open the front door. My hair is a mess and so are my clothes, but I don't care at the moment.

I've been to the shops so many times that I've memorised it. I look at my feet as I shuffle through the crowd, trying not to bump people. I stop a metre away from the shops' entrance and listen for the ding as I open the door.

It's like a weight has been lifted off me. The mood inside here is so different, exciting and fun. It smells like a bakery, but it is filled with different items. Children run around while shopkeepers laugh and hesitate to tell them to slow down. The kids aren't doing anything bad, they're running around an empty space where the boxes of tesserae used to stand tall. The sight of this, the whole environment, somehow brings out a smile from me which nothing else could do. It's so simple, but it's a wonderful thing to see.

I'm still smiling as I take my basket of goods back home. I have enough food to feed me for a week, maybe two. I force myself to swallow a ham and cheese sandwich and a glass of milk. Is that nutritious enough? I guess it should be. _Note to Self: Call a doctor. _

I stumble downstairs, only because the phone is ringing. Okay, I am starving too, but I have a packet of crackers upstairs. My fingers wind around the handle before it stops. I nearly roll my eyes into my head and walk to the fridge. A sudden pain jolts through my abdomen. I cripple to the ground and bite my lip to stop from screaming. After a minute or so, it stops. _What the…_ I open the fridge and take out a loaf of bread. Should I have peanut butter or ham and cheese? Before I can butter the bread, another awful cramp attacks me. Once I overcome the pain, I stagger over to the phone and dial in the doctors' number.

I'm glad I called as soon as possible, because the paramedics burst through my front door just as my third horrible cramp comes. It isn't a normal hunger cramp or anything. It's something different. Something that fills me with both joy and terror.

_I'm in labour._


	21. Epilogue

**A/N: This is the last chapter :,(. I won't be doing any multi-chapter fics for a while, except for my SYOT on the account MangoDauntless. Please favourite and review (tbh following isn't going to get you anywhere) I hope you liked this series! Look out for my Primrose: Catching Fire multi-chapter that should come out in a few months. For then, I'll be doing one-shots and updating my collection of small-oneshots. Remember, "There are much worse Games to play."**

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Finn runs around the beach, leaving small footprints on the sand. I'm glad he's going to have a great childhood. He may not have a father-or a very stable mother-but he won't get reaped. No one will.

Since we've won the war, a ton of things have changed. A strong-voiced woman from Eight was elected the new president of Panem. She's definitely better than Snow. Our districts have been fixed up, especially the ones like District Twelve and Eight which got bombed. Food is rationed everywhere, equally. We get to choose our occupations, explore the previously forbidden areas, move between Districts and best of all-not get reaped. Although, I haven't seen many people from other Districts. I guess they're homesick. To be honest, I don't think I could bring myself away from here either.

"Mama!" he screams as he leaps into my lap. I don't think I was this hyperactive when I was a child. I don't even get to give him a small hug before he jumps out of my arms and runs into the water. He's only six and he knows how to swim so well. Why am I so surprised? I swam this well when I was his age.

I don't know what I'll do. I still can't get over Finnick, my parents and Mags' death, and I don't think I ever will. I mean, how can you get over it? They're not coming back, and no one can replace them.

I still get nightmares. I still have the moments where I zone out or the darkness of reality consumes me. It's only the face of my child who can bring me out of it now. I hate him to see me this way, Finn is too young, but sometimes, people can't be healed.

"Annie!" someone yells from behind us. Finn still digs around in the sand, but I force myself around to see a woman. She has a snarky smile, jeans and a black t-shirt with a 7 on the front. Her dark hair barely reaches her shoulders, so different to the last time I saw her. It's Johanna Mason.

"Hello, Johanna." I smile. She slides her hands into her pocket and stumbles down the hill. She sits next to me and stares towards Finn. "Thought I'd come to see my little godson." She calls out Finn's name and he comes running towards her and gives her a hug. "How's my little Finn?" she grins. I've never seen Johanna so happy. Well, I didn't know her that well, but she's always so angry. Angry at something. Someone.

Once Finn runs off back into the sea, Johanna looks off into the distance. "How are you?" I ask. Her head drifts to the left and she raises her eyebrow as if to say, _me_? "Same old, killing trees, telling my stupid psychiatrist to get a life. You?" Her small comment about her psychiatrist brings out a laugh. I've also given up on mental health doctors. It's not like they're going to help. "Ah, just taking care of Finn, fishing. I'm considering being a swimming coach."

Once she leaves, I pack up our stuff and we walk home. Finn is a curious kid, I got to say. I don't know if he likes the beach or home more, because once I open the door, he rushes in and leaps onto the couch. I let out a light laugh and go upstairs for a nap.

"Annie!" Finnick cries, "You're back!" His arms wrap around my torso and he spins me around in the air until I get dizzy. He leans into kiss but I shake my head. "I have something to tell you." I whisper. I hold his hands close to my stomach and whisper into his ear. "We're going to be parents."

I wake up in a pool of salty tears. I check my wristwatch and it's only been an hour. I grab a tissue to blow my nose and I walk downstairs, trying to hold myself together for Finn. He lies down on the couch, possibly asleep. There's a cartoon show on the television about two dogs. I sit down next to him, and his eyes instantly shut. _Oh, I see._

"Oh no! Finn fell asleep!" I whisper, hoping that I don't laugh. "What should I do?" He smirks and mumbles as if he was sleep-talking. I tickle him on the stomach and he giggles and rolls off the couch. "How did you know I was awake, Mummy?" I shrug my shoulders. Finn takes this opportunity to jump onto my lap and kiss me on the forehead.

"I love you Mummy!" he smiles.

"I love you too, Finn."


End file.
